Cruising With Honey: Carnival

Carnival

When your blog gets SPAMMED

By Cruising With Honey - 17:05

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Carnival

Sydney Show-Off Harbour

By Cruising With Honey - 12:50

The view from my balcony on Level 4

As followers of my blog, you'll know I almost didn't get on the Spirit.

The hiccup was a phone call from my daughter's school at 10:30am Wednesday. If you're a parent, I don't have to describe that sheer moment of panic when you see "SCHOOL" show up on the caller ID. Invariably, I answer on the first ring and I yell "WHAT'S WRONG WITH MY GIRLS?" in a hysterical shrill.

To make a long story short, Miss 11, Eden, had a headache and was feeling ill in the tummy. There had been a nasty gastro bug making its evil tour around the school and I was hoping it hadn't made its way to my Eden. It wasn't gastro but I watched her like a hawk. She bounced back by the next morning, and it was only then that I packed our bags. Phew.

As an aside though, despite the stress, I nearly burst into tears of mumma-pride. When I broke the news to the other two (Misses 12 and 9), that we might have to cancel our cruise, they reacted in such a beautiful way.

Me: "Girls, your sister isn't feeling well, we might have to miss the cruise. If she vomits, we can't get on. It's not fair to the other cruisers or staff." (Read my experience with Norovirus here)

Miss 12: "Ohh poor Eden! Oh mum, I hope she feels better soon."

Me: "Well, you and Hope can go with Daddy, and I will stay with Eden"

Miss 9 "NO NO NO MUMMY, we all go together, Plus Daddy is boring"

Miss 12: "Exactly. There is NO way I will even think about going without both my sisters or you!"

Anyway, as there's a city bus virtually around the corner from our house, we jumped on it, paid a few bucks and were in the city in 25 mins and at Circular Quay in 30. NEVER again will I take a shuttle bus. This was cheap and very fast. Plus the bus was virtually empty due to it being past peak hour.

Arriving at the Quay, every feeling of nervousness melted away. There's something about Sydney Harbour that is magical. Every single time, I am blown away by its beauty. After a few snaps, we dropped our bags off and proceeded to check-in. It was busy, but I only had to yell at the kids twice and threaten to go back home once if they didn't stop bickering. I think we waited about 35 mins (however, it was only after we checked in that I realised we had PRIORITY CHECK IN and could have waltzed right past the queuing hoard aboard).

With our Sail & Sign Cards in hand and $400 on-board credit (thank you Wayne from I Love Cruising) we basically ran on board. Now, this was my third time on the Spirit. You see, when my two eldest daughters turned 10, (one year apart) I took each on a surprise holiday - a 3 night cruise. But, my husband and the youngest (Miss 9) had never been on the Spirit. Tara, Eden and I were bursting to show them the Atrium, the Great Glass Elevators and the slides. As I hadn't been on her since the refurb, I was excited to see the upgrades.

We made our way to our rooms, side-by-side balcony rooms on Level 4 - a triple and a double (yes, I got the sofa as usual) and dumped our carry on. We were greeted with an adorable plate of macarons, choc dipped strawberries and rice-crispy thingies. I wolfed down about half of these before the kids spied them. Yes, I am a pig. As the last cruise I went on was the Eden, I did notice the rooms were smaller on the Spirit - well, narrower I think? - but it didn't bother me as we really spend very little time in the room. The balcony was great and the steward assured me that tomorrow he would unlock the partition between my husband's balcony and mine for easy access. Yes, I just wrote "easy access".

As you can see by my photos, Sydney really turned it on! It was a glorious day and I felt so incredibly lucky to be alive. You can check out my Live Facebook videos on my page here and here and here

The first upgrade I noticed was Guy's Burger Joint. My husband loves Burgers. We all sat down and ate a burger. They were great burgers. So that was a big FAT tick of approval from the whole family. What I especially loved was the 'toppings' bar which allows you to customise your burger. (Can I write 'buger' one more time?) So, so good! We all then smashed down an ice-cream from the 24hr soft serve. I could hear the calories jumping onto my hips. Bounce, bounce, bounce...

View from the Lido Deck. Aren't I creative?

With a full tummy, we decided to explore. On our first lap of the Sun Deck (10) I virtually ran into George Kapiniaris. Poor guy, he was on the phone with his wife and I literally screamed out, "OH MY GOD! IT IS MEMO" in a very Effie-ish manner. I'm not sure if he was about to run, but it's a cruise ship and there really isn't anywhere to run to. He graciously listened to this mad purple-haired woman who was re-living Acropolis Now flashbacks. I gushed, "I HAVE THE ACROPOLIS NOW BOX SET!" he replied, "So do I" and backed away slowly....

It was time to set sail and we all lined up at the back of Spirit and reveled in the majesty of creation. Taking a deep breath, I looked around at my family and said a silent prayer of gratitude.

Goodbye Sydney. If only for a few days.

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Carnival

Feeling (Carnival) Spirited

By Cruising With Honey - 12:10

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Carnival

Hiccup or hiccough? same-same

By Cruising With Honey - 19:03

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Carnival

Oh yes we MexiCAN!

By Cruising With Honey - 23:15

I almost didn't go for my eyebrow threading today.

You see, when most people think Mexican dress-up party, most people think about sombreros, mariachi bands and maracas. I am not 'most people'. I thought about eyebrows, Frida Kahlo's to be exact. ACTUALLY, to be perfectly precise, I thought about her eyebrow. Singular.

Anyway, while I could pull off some bushy brows, there's no way I could pull off the elegance. Somehow, I'd end up looking like a bag-lady, covered in a granny shawl and a bird's nest in my hair. So I went for my threading.

As I sat there getting my stray hairs yanked out by their tiny yet feisty roots (how can an innocent looking piece of string cause so much pain?), a fabulous idea entered my brain. How about I go as cactus? Who DOESN'T like cactus? It's not demanding (no watering needed), a gorgeous colour and best of all has the cutest little spikes ALL OVER. I mean, irresistible right?

But then I remembered, this is ME we are talking about. If I attempted this look, I'd end up resembling the Incredible Hulk who'd rolled around in a sewing kit or a giant, green condom.

With a sigh, I headed to the local variety store and picked up some cheap colourful sombreros and stick on mustaches. Sigh.

N.B I still have TWO days, so I might think of a better idea.
Any one have any suggestions?

There was some confusion as to what the Theme Night would be for this cruise. Originally, it was an Island/Caribbean night then a flyer was splashed out on Carnival's Facebook pages in regards to Theme Night changes from August. HOWEVER, the fine print stated the changes would be from 18th August. It was rather confusing. So, I jumped on the blower and called Carnival. Leo, the lovely young man who answered, confirmed it was definitely MEXICAN NIGHT. The poor guy sounded a little exasperated as he had answered many calls over the last day asking the same question. As I'm nosey, I found out Leo and I were both born in 1976 (the best year, naturally) and his 40th birthday is this THURSDAY!

Leo, if you're reading this, THANK YOU for your patience and HAPPY BIRTHDAY. I will have a drink in your honour aboard the Spirit, toasting you long life and health!

So there you have it. Mexican theme night. My challenge to those who are going to be on the cruise, is to be as INVENTIVE as possible. I'll buy a shot of tequila for the costume that makes me laugh the most.

OLÉ

P.S There better be some nachos and tacos at the party!

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Carnival

The Mum Dance

By Cruising With Honey - 23:00

Have you ever noticed that women of a certain age do this type of body shuffle whenever there's a dance floor?

I call this The Mum Dance. It's a kind of two-step bop - one step to the right then the middle, then repeated on the left side. Sometimes there's a spin every 8 bars or so, sometimes a finger point. Invariably there is a "woo" and a clap on the 1 & 3. I think you all know what I'm talking about. The appearance of this phenomena is often found at local RSLs when a Cold Chisel cover band is playing, school discos and family birthday parties

I don't do the Mum Dance.

This may alarm you, but the Mum Dance has invaded cruise ships. When combined with the Nut Bush, Macarena and the Time Warp, what ensues is quite a sight to behold. Add the motion of the ocean and you may NEVER erase the memory. Shudder.

Now, you may think this is scary enough on its own - but wait, shield yourself for my next revelation. There is a counterpart to this monstrosity, and it's far, far worse.

The Dad Dance.

What makes the Dad Dance even more hideous is the fact that the male members of the species forget they are past mid-life. Their dance is a combination of hugging the closest male and doing a headbanging jumping-up-and-down jig (it's always a good idea to move your little offspring a good distance off the dance floor or else they might get trampled) and 1980s breakdancing moves: The Electric Wire, The Robot and of course, The Caterpillar. Many a time I have witnessed a 40-something man try to execute this move. 100% of the time, it resembles floundering fish and results in a hamstring injury.

On every cruise, I've begged my husband to dance with me. Every single time he refuses. I'm not sure why, I reckon I'm a pretty good dancer.

This does not dissuade me though, as I usually drag one of my girls up to dance. Among the eye rolls and "Mum, you're embarrassing!", I'm sure they're having a good time. Once I've exhausted all three, I usually just sidle up to whoever is on the dance floor and hijack their fun.

So, the point of this post is kind of a warning. If I make eye contact with you, and there's music, be prepared to "Shake what yo Mumma gave you".

FOUR SLEEPS AND COUNTING!

P.S Where's the best place to dance on the Spirit?

P.P.S If you're brave enough, you'll challenge me to a Dance Off!

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Carnival

Speeding up time, slowing it down and standing still

By Cruising With Honey - 13:09

Two days ago, I bragged on an online parent's forum that I was totally "winning at life".

I had written two blog posts, had a super productive meeting, started dinner, made the beds, a yummy breakfast and also hung out the washing.

The washing is still hanging outside on the line.

Various undergarments, a few stray socks and a tea towel have been through numerous wash cycles, drying cycles, soaking, drip drying, air drying and thrashed around on an erratic spin cycle only a Hills Hoist can endure. Miraculously, 48hrs of drenching rain and near-cyclonic winds have not budged one peg. (Must be the Aldi pegs I'm using. I love Aldi).

So why am I boring you with laundry? Well, firstly to highlight my procrastinating attitude. But, more relevantly it's to highlight how excited I am that in ONE week, I will be on the Carnival Spirit with not a care in the world. No cooking, cleaning and NO LAUNDRY.

As I'm sitting here typing away - looking at my drenched washing while procrastinating about completing a client brief and justifying it by being creative and blogging for YOU - I find myself musing about time. The great physicists of the world and that lovable Doc Brown from 'Back To The Future' have spent a lot of TIME thinking about TIME and trying to find ways to move through it, speed it up, slow it down even stand still. Is this a waste of TIME? Can TIME be wasted? Ughh, my brain hurts just thinking about it.

My request is pretty non-demanding (well I think so anyway). I would like the Universe's Time Keeper to please Fast Forward time to NEXT Thursday 8am and then make it stand still or go REALLY slowly until Sunday. That way, 3 nights can seem like 3 months. Thanks in advance.

But seriously, I am quite strange as I am already getting sad about the cruise ending - and I haven't even BEEN on it! Is this normal? Shall we name this phenomena as I don't think I'm the only one that suffers from it. I shall call it, Post Cruise Depression Prior To Cruising Sickness - or PCDPTC. Catchy right? Who else is a sufferer?

My biggest problem however, (yes I am complicated) is that I'm one of those people who want to do EVERYTHING! I get anxiety when the daily activities handout arrives the night before in my cabin. My palms get sweaty as I reach for my trusty highlighter (yes, I carry highlighters and various writing tools everywhere) and try to figure out how I'm possibly going to NOT MISS OUT. This severe FOMO (Fear Of Missing Out) is also a sickness that I am trying to find a cure for. Unfortunately, I'm doomed.

So here's my challenge to all of you. Other than creating a cloning device for me (does anyone have one?), how do I make best use of my time aboard the Spirit? There will be no time to get bored aboard and I want to do everything. From the classes (I hear there is a cocktail making class?) to dining experiences, ship tours, HOW do I possibly do it all in 3 days? I am open to a no-sleeping option and moving at a light jog while traveling around the ship.

How many things do you think I can squeeze into one day? I'm up for the challenge.

And GO!

When your blog gets SPAMMED

Sydney Show-Off Harbour

Feeling (Carnival) Spirited

Hiccup or hiccough? same-same

To be continued...

Oh yes we MexiCAN!

N.B I still have TWO days, so I might think of a better idea.
Any one have any suggestions?

The Mum Dance

FOUR SLEEPS AND COUNTING!

Speeding up time, slowing it down and standing still

The countdown is on. Carnival Spirit here we come!

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To be continued...

N.B I still have TWO days, so I might think of a better idea. Any one have any suggestions?

FOUR SLEEPS AND COUNTING!

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N.B I still have TWO days, so I might think of a better idea.
Any one have any suggestions?